MLS Week 14 Starts in Canada – Vancouver vs Toronto, 1-1

Week 14 of the MLS championship has started in Canada with a derby between Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC. The final result was 1-1, with both teams scoring within the last 6 minutes.

Both sides wanted a win here, as they didn’t have too much success lately. However, Vancouver was in a better position because they haven’t recorded as many losses as Toronto in recent few weeks, who collapsed after a solid start of the season.

Goals came late. At first, Whitecaps took the lead from the penalty in the 84th minute. Drew Moor, Toronto’s defender, brought down Yordy Reyna in the box, and the referee instantly pointed towards the penalty spot. Fredy Montero had no troubles of converting this chance into a goal.

And when most of the fans thought that their team grabbed valuable three points, the shock arrived in the last moments of the match. Nick DeLeon, a substitute, made a strong shot from the right side, and on its way towards the goal the ball deflected off one home player and entered the goal.

BC Place was awfully silent.

“At the end of the day, even if we scored and conceded late, we have to admit that the tie is fair,” said Vancouver’s coach Marc Dos Santos. “That’s a fair result for both teams. If we don’t admit that, then we’re delusional and we don’t progress as a team.”

On the other side, Toronto’s striker and the USA national team legend Jozy Altidore wasn’t satisfied at all with the result. Even though his team escaped certain loss in the last moments of the event, Altidore has an opinion that Toronto deserved more.

“To be honest, I think we deserved it,” he told reporters post-match. “I thought for most of the game, we controlled most of the play.”

And really when you take a look at the statistics, the numbers prove that claim. Toronto had more goal attempts, 14-8, more shots on goal 5-1, and 10 corner kicks compared to zero on the other side.

If it weren’t for superb Maxime Crepeau who saved four shots, Vancouver would lose no doubt about it. With this result, their poor form continues to last. From the possible 18 points in the last six events, Toronto took only two and is now 7th in the Eastern Conference with 18 points trailing that position with Chicago Fire who has a game more.

Vancouver is one place below the playoff spot, but has the same number of points as FC Dallas, 18. Real Salt Lake has 19, but both teams in front of the Whitecaps have two matches fewer than the Canadians.

What was the most apparent thing from the last night’s game was the fatigue of both sides. These teams played 6 games over the previous three weeks, and are desperate to catch some breath. The upcoming international break will be of great importance for them, to heal, regenerate, and find some mental stability.

"These guys deserve the break."

-Marc Dos Santos#VANvTOR | #VWFC pic.twitter.com/Y3dOTabibe

— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) June 1, 2019

“We just felt tonight there was a little lack of energy … the mind was tired, and we were not sharp enough. It looked like the accumulation of all the month, and now these guys deserve the break,” coach Dos Santos told the media, explaining the pale performance of his team.

His team now heads on a three-week pause, before coming back against Colorado Rapids at home. Vancouver will face Rapids on June 22 at 10 pm ET.

On the other side, Toronto has one more game to play next Friday. It will be against Sporting Kansas City at their BMO Field, with the kick-off at 7 pm ET.

Stay tuned for more news from the MLS. WagerBop.com will have its usual recap of the entire round once finished, where you can find all the important details from these games.